Coolbawn farmer Ailbhe is making waves
Only 13 per cent of Irish farms are owned by women, but one of them who lives just outside the Lower Ormond village of Coolbawn has been making waves.
Ailbhe Gerrard of Brookfield Farm featured in last Friday’s issue of the Irish Examiner among five women that are involved in organisations that work to support and promote women in the workplace.
Ailbhe (54) is a member of Talamh Beo, an organisation founded in 2019 to regenerate Irish agriculture.
Her route to farming was roundabout. She told the newspaper: “I was a project manager and when the recession hit, I re-trained in sustainable development.”
She went on to explain: “Through that, I got the opportunity to attend the COP climate change conference in Copenhagen in 2009, which put the fear of god in to me. I realised I could continue researching sustainable food production, processing and distribution, or get some land and do it in practice.”
She chose the latter and bought 65 acres on the shores of Lough Derg in 2010. Some 15 years later, she is well aware she is an unusual farmer.
“Being a woman makes me a minority from the off,” she told the Examiner. “The fact I’m new to farming does, too, as most people take over family farms.
“Then, there’s the fact I farm in a diverse way, focusing on organic tillage, sheep, forestry, bees and agri-tourism.
“I sell barley to local beer and whiskey makers. I butcher my sheep locally and sell the meat through my website.
“I offer people a share of my hive, so they get a regular supply of honey. I make and sell beeswax candles and hand salves, give farm tours, and run an annual Field Exchange festival.”
Because she doesn’t fit the mould of a traditional farmer, Ailbhe occasionally experiences hostility from others. The Talamh Beo women’s group acts as a sounding board when this happens, the Examiner reported.
“I speak to the women there about my experiences, and they are supportive,” she told the newspaper. “Most of them are like me. We take enjoyment and satisfaction from working the land in a creative way hand in hand with nature.”
PANELLIST
Ailbhe has been involved in a number of events over the past week to mark International Women’s Day.
On Tuesday last she was a panellist for the European Commission in Ireland’s ‘Women Step into Agriculture’ event staged in association with the Department Agriculture, Food & the Marine.
“It was a really uplifting and powerful discussion with some of the female powerhouses of agriculture,” she told The Guardian.
Ailbhe met Minister Heydon from the Department of Agriculture and several agricultural journalists, academics and farmers.
Meanwhile, Design Ireland had a launch on Thursday, March 6, for their Pop-Up in Arnotts, Dublin. Ailbhe's craft offerings - beeswax candles and hivegifts - were one of the craft goods chosen. This pop-up showcases the finest in Irish design and craftsmanship and is open until July.It features a curated collection of 35 exceptional Irish designers and makers, showcasing a diverse mix of high-quality jewellery, ceramics, homeware, and accessories.
Each piece reflects Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, while taking a step towards a more sustainable future in fashion and design.